Construction begins this week on the new Lakeshore Trail, a multi-use pathway along M-63 connecting Benton Harbor and St. Joseph to several parks and beaches along Lake Michigan.

The Friends of Berrien County Trails says the construction is expected to be finished by the end of the year, with nature restoration completed before the expected official opening next spring.

The Lakeshore Trail is the first phase of a larger effort to connect the trail system in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor to the Van Buren State Park Trail in Covert Township. The 2.5-mile section of the Lakeshore Trail getting started this week will be a paved walking and biking trail from the Harbor Shores Trails on Higman Park Road to the Monte Road trailhead of the Lakeview Mountain Bike Trail.

Friends of Berrien County Trails have spearheaded the fundraising effort to make all of this possible, securing support from the state and federal government as well as local sources. Community donors helped the project receive a $75,000 match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation via a crowdfunding campaign.

With construction getting underway, closure of the shoulder along M-63 will be needed, so cyclists are urged to use caution.